The Lives of Others

Name: The Lives of Others
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: 2006-03-23
Duration: 137 min
Rating: 8.038

★ 8,0 /10 (4,209 Votes)

2006 DE 137 min

Overview

In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.

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Rent

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Release date

23/03/2006

Votes

4,209

Popularity

9.4

Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.

Genres

Drama Thriller

Status

Released

Original title

Das Leben der Anderen

Language

Runtime

137 min

Budget

$2,000,000

Revenue

$77,672,685

Martina Gedeck

Christa-Maria Sieland

Ulrich Mühe

Gerd Wiesler

Sebastian Koch

Georg Dreyman

Ulrich Tukur

Anton Grubitz

Thomas Thieme

Bruno Hempf

Hans-Uwe Bauer

Paul Hauser

Volkmar Kleinert

Albert Jerska

Matthias Brenner

Karl Wallner

Charly Hübner

Udo

Herbert Knaup

Gregor Hessenstein

Bastian Trost

Häftling 227

Marie Gruber

Frau Meineke

Volker Michalowski

Schriftexperte

Werner Daehn

Einsatzleiter in Uniform

Hinnerk Schönemann

Axel Stigler

Thomas Arnold

Nowack

Ludwig Blochberger

Benedikt Lehmann

Martin Brambach

Einsatzleiter Meyer

Hubertus Hartmann

Egon Schwalber

Paul Faßnacht

Onkel Frank Hauser

Paul Maximilian Schüller

Junge mit Ball

Susanna Kraus

Andrea

Michael Gerber

Zahnarzt Dr. Czimmy

Fabian von Klitzing

Tagesschausprecher

Harald Polzin

Wächter

Sheri Hagen

'Martha' 1991

Gitta Schweighöfer

'Anja' 1984

Hildegard Schroedter

'Elena' 1984

Inga Birkenfeld

'Elena' 1991 / BStU-Mitarbeiterin

Jens Wassermann

'Rolf' Andi Wenzke-Falkenau

No photo

Gabi Fleming

Prostitute

Kai Ivo Baulitz

Buchverkäufer

Anabelle D. Munro

Theatre Actress (uncredited)

Klaus Münster

Erich Mielke (voice) (uncredited)

Original Soundtrack

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Good guys facing tragic circumstances in an interesting period of history. Because you view the main characters lives from the perspective of the morally confused Stasi Officer investigating them, you receive more information than the characters have about their hopeless situation. This makes it all the more tragic to see the suffering they endure. Absolutely love this film. The only film so far to make my dad and I cry.

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This isn't so much a thriller as a glaring example of the corrupting power of the state, and of those charged with crafting and implementing it's policies. "Dreyman" (Sebastian Koch) is an East German playwright who is popular with the communist elite because his works manage to extol the virtues of their people's republic. The minister "Hempf" (Thomas Thieme) goes through all the supportive motions with him, but meantime asks the Stasi to keep an eye on him. The very ambitious "Grubitz" (Ulrich Tukur) selects his meticulous colleague "Wiesler" (Ulrich Mühe) to manage the surveillance and off …

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20 years later, still one of the great movies of the century. An amazing realistic take on the last days of the failing East German state at a time when the lessons from its deserved demise are being forgotten and propaganda is trying to repaint it as greatness. Interesting script, great performances and direction, deep and multi-layered message. A must watch.

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